The retail price of tomatoes has soared past Rs 100 per kilogram in 2024, driven by a significant decrease in supply across wholesale markets in Maharashtra. Experts from the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) and traders have indicated that this shortage is not limited to the state alone, suggesting that immediate price reductions are unlikely.
Officials at the APMC have attributed the reduced intake of tomatoes to severe heat affecting plantations across Maharashtra. For instance, the Naryangaon wholesale market, which typically receives over 30,000 crates of tomatoes daily in May, is now seeing only 10,000 crates per day.
In Nashik APMC, the average wholesale price of tomatoes has surged by 36% in just one week, climbing to Rs 750 per crate on June 25 from Rs 550 per crate on June 18. Consequently, retail prices in Nashik have risen sharply to Rs 80-100 per kilogram, up from Rs 60 per kilogram last week. Similarly, prices in Kolhapur range between Rs 75-80 per kilogram, while in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, tomatoes are fetching as much as Rs 120 per kilogram.
The fluctuating monsoon pattern has exacerbated the situation, with some areas receiving adequate rainfall while others await precipitation. This disparity has led to erratic harvest volumes, further constraining market supply and driving up prices.
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